搜索
Martahadworkedhardforalongtimetowinthescholarshipjacket,butatthelastmomentsomethinghappenedthatthreatenedtorobheroftheprize.长期来，玛尔塔为赢得一件奖给全优生的短上衣而刻苦学习，但最后一刻发生的事可能会使她失去这一奖品。TheScholarshipJacket一件奖给全优生的短上衣MartaSalinas玛尔塔·萨利纳斯1.ThesmallTexasschoolthatIattendedcarriedoutatraditioneveryyearduringtheeighthgradegraduation;abeautifulgoldandgreenjacketwasawardedtotheclassvaledictorian,thestudentwhohadmaintainedthehighestgradesforeightyears.八年级学生毕业时，我就读的那所规模甚小的得克萨斯州学校年年都遵循传统做这样一件事：把一件金色绿色相间的漂亮短上衣授予毕业典礼上致告别辞的毕业生代表，即八年来成绩保持第一的那个学生。2.Iwasfourteenandintheeighthgrade.IhadbeenastraightAstudentsincethefirstgrade,andthelastyearIhadlookedforwardtoowningthejacket.Myfatherwasafarmlaborerwhocouldn'tearnenoughmoneytofeedeightchildren,sowhenIwassixIwasgiventomygrandparentstoraise.Wecouldn'tparticipateinsportsatschoolbecausetherewereregistrationfees,uniformcosts,andtripsoutoftown;sotherewouldneverbeasportsschooljacketforus.Thisone,thescholarshipjacket,wasouronlychance.当时我14岁，在上八年级。从一年级开始，我就一直是全优生，到了最后一年，我盼望拥有一件这样的短上衣。我父亲是农场工人，挣的钱不够养活八个孩子，所以我六岁那年，他们就把我送给祖父母抚养。我们没法参加学校的体育活动，因为那些活动都要交注册费，运动服要买，去外地也要花钱。所以，我们永远不会有什么校运动服。拥有这样一件毕业生荣誉服，对我们而言，便是唯一的机会。3.OnedayinMay,onthewayfrommyhistoryclasstothegym,IrememberedmyP.E.shortswerestillintheclassroom.Ihadtowalkbackandgetthem.IwasalmostbackatthedoorwhenIheardangryvoicesandarguinginmyclassroom.Irecognizedthevoices:Mr.Schmidt,myhistoryteacher,andMr.Boone,mymathteacher.Theyseemedtobearguingaboutme.Icouldn'tbelieveit.Istillremembertheshockthatrootedmeflatagainstthewall.五月的一天，历史课后去健身房的路上，我突然想起我的运动短裤还在教室里。我得回去取。快到教室门口时，我听见从里面传来愤怒的争吵声。我辨出了那些声音：是历史老师施密特先生和数学老师布恩先生。他们似乎在为我争吵。简直难以置信。我仍记得我当时惊呆了，靠在墙上，一动不动。4.Irefusetodoit!Idon'tcarewhoherfatheris,hergradesdon'tevenbegintocomparetoMartha's.Iwon'tlieorfalsifyrecords.MarthahasastraightAplusaverageandyouknowit.ThatwasMr.Schmidtandhesoundedveryangry.Mr.Boone'svoicesoundedcalmandquiet.“我拒绝那样做!我才不管她父亲是谁呢，她的成绩根本无法与玛莎相比。我不愿撒谎，不愿篡改成绩。玛莎平均成绩都是A+，这一点你清楚。”那是施密特先生的声音，听上去他很愤怒。布恩先生的声音听上去又轻又平静。5.Look,Joann'sfatherisnotonlyontheBoard,heownstheonlystoreintown;wecouldsayitwasaclosetieand—?“你瞧，琼的父亲不仅是校董，他还拥有镇上唯一的商店。应该说是难分高低，再说……”6.Thepoundinginmyearsdrownedouttherestofthewords,onlyawordhereandtherefilteredthrough....MarthaisMexican...resign...won'tdoit...我耳朵里嗡嗡作响，听不见他们后来讲的话，只东一点西一点渗入片言只语。“……玛莎是墨西哥人……辞职……不干……”7.TothisdayIdon'trememberhowImadeitthroughtherestoftheafternoon.IwenthomeverysadandcriedintomypillowthatnightsoGrandmotherwouldn'thearme.直到今天，我都想不起来那天下午我是怎么度过的。我心情沮丧地回到家。那天晚上，为了不让祖母听见，我把头埋进枕头里痛哭一场。8.Thenextdaywhentheprincipalcalledmeintohisoffice,Iknewwhatitwouldbeabout.Helookeduncomfortableandunhappy.第二天，校长把我叫进他的办公室时，我就知道他为什么要这样做。他看上去不太自在，也显得不高兴。9.Martha,hesaid,there'sbeenachangeinpolicythisyearregardingthescholarshipjacket.Asyouknow,ithasalwaysbeenfree.Heclearedhisthroatandcontinued.ThisyeartheBoarddecidedtochargefifteendollars—whichstillwon'tcoverthecompletecostofthejacket.“玛莎，”他说，“今年有关奖励服装的政策有些变化。你也知道，以往奖励的服装一直是免费的。”他清了清嗓子接着说：“今年，校董事会决定收十五元钱——这点钱还是抵不上奖励服装的全部成本。”10.Istaredathiminshockandasmallsoundofdismayescapedmythroat.Ihadn'texpectedthis.我惊愕地盯着他看，不禁发出轻轻的沮丧声。我没料到竟会这样。11.Soifyouareunabletopaythefifteendollarsforthejacket,itwillbegiventothenextoneinline.“如果你付不出买奖励服装的十五元钱，我们就要把它奖给排在下一个的学生了。”12.StandingwithallthedignityIcouldmuster,Isaid,I'llspeaktomygrandfatheraboutit,sir,andletyouknowtomorrow.Icriedonthewalkhomefromthebusstop.我站在那儿，竭力保持着尊严，说道：“先生，这事我要回去跟我祖父说，明天给您答复。”从汽车站走回家的路上，我哭了。13.Where'sGrandpa?IaskedGrandma.“爷爷在哪儿？”我问奶奶。Ithinkhe'soutbackworkinginthebeanfield.“我想他是在后面的豆子地里干活。”14.Iwentoutsideandlookedoutatthefields.Therehewas.Iwalkedslowlyouttohim,tryingtothinkhowIcouldbestaskhimforthemoney.Iwantedthatjacketsomuch.Itrepresentedeightyearsofhardworkandexpectation.Hesawmeandlookedup.我走出屋，往地里张望。爷爷果然在那儿。我慢慢地朝他走去，寻思着怎么开口向他要钱最好。我太想得到那件奖励的上装了。它代表着八年的努力和期盼。他看见我了，抬起头望着。15.Hewaitedformetospeak.Iclearedmythroatnervouslyandclaspedmyhandsbehindmybacksohewouldn'tseethemshaking.Grandpa,Ihaveabigfavortoaskyou,IsaidinSpanish,theonlylanguageheknew.Hestillwaitedsilently.Itriedagain.Grandpa,thisyeartheprincipalsaidthescholarshipjacketisnotgoingtobefree.It'sgoingtocostfifteendollarsandIhavetotakethemoneyintomorrow,otherwiseit'llbegiventosomeoneelse.Thelastwordscameoutinaneagerrush.Iwaited,desperatelyhopinghe'dsayIcouldhavethemoney.他等着我开口。我紧张地清了清嗓子，双手紧握放在背后，这样他就看不到我的手在发抖了。“爷爷，我要您帮我一个大忙。”我说的是西班牙语，他唯一能懂的语言。他仍静静地等着。我又试着说：“爷爷，校长说今年奖励的衣服不再免费了，要花十五元钱买。我明天得把钱交上去，否则就要给别人了。”最后几个字是急切地蹦出来的。我等着爷爷的回答，极其希望他会说我可以拿这笔钱。16.Heturnedtomeandaskedquietly,Whatdoesascholarshipjacketmean?他转过身来对着我，轻声问道：“这件奖励的短上衣表明什么呢？”17.Iansweredquickly;maybetherewasachance.Itmeansyou'veearneditbyhavingthehighestgradesforeightyearsandthat'swhythey'regivingittoyou.ToolateIrealizedthesignificanceofmywords.GrandpaknewthatIunderstooditwasnotamatterofmoney.Itwasn'tthat.Hewentbacktohoeingtheweedsthatsprangupbetweenthedelicatelittlebeanplants.Finallyhespokeagain.我急忙回答，心想也许会有机会。“意味着因你八年来年年成绩最好而赢得了它，他们给你也是因为这个。”等我意识到我这番话的意思时，为时已晚。爷爷知道我明白那不是钱的问题。不是那个问题。他又去锄生长在青嫩的豆苗间的杂草了。最后，他又开口了.18.Thenifyoupayforit,Marta,it'snotascholarshipjacket,isit?Tellyour